Police 'spied' on family of man mistakenly shot by officers

A report critical of the Metropolitan Police has found that a secret police unit kept information on families of 17 justice campaigns.

Although the police have apologised to the families involved, they insist there is no evidence that their undercover officers spied on or targeted perfectly legal justice campaigns.

ITV News correspondent Paul Davies reports:

More: Police 'spied' on family of man mistakenly shot by officers

Scotland Yard has stopped short of offering an apology to the families of 17 justice campaigns, who a secret police unit kept information on.

The investigation is set to go on for another year and will report on the culture of the unit where "some behaviour that was not appropriate".

The mother of a 20-year-old student who died in mysterious circumstances in 1997 has told ITV News that being told a secret police unit was keeping information on her was like "a bomb exploding in my head".

Ricky Reel was with his friends on a night out before they were all racially abused by two white men.

The student disappeared shortly after that incident and his body was later found in the River Thames.

Today's report found that a secret police unit kept information on families of 17 justice campaigns.

In response to the findings, Ricky's mother Sukhdev Reel told ITV News: "Please spy on criminals, what crime did I commit?"

The Chief Constable who led the report that found a secret Scotland Yard unit held information on families of 17 justice campaigns admitted it would be "distressing" for relatives to learn that their details were being held.

Mick Creedon, Derbyshire Chief Constable, added that it "must seem inexplicable" for the families who have had their details held by the force.

One reference in the report was to an unnamed individual planning to go to a funeral, even though "there was no intelligence to indicate that the funeral would have been anything other than a dignified event".

Mr Creedon said: "Unless the information could have prevented crime or disorder it should not have been retained."

Despite the report finding no evidence that covert operations targeted grieving families, the fact information that had no relevance in preventing crimes was kept, was heavily criticised.

Families of 17 justice campaigns - for murder victims or those who died following police contact - will be informed on what information Scotland Yard held about them.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon, who led the inquiry, said:

Information on 17 justice campaigns for murder victims and those who died following police contact was held by a secret Scotland Yard unit, a report has found.

Accusations that Scotland Yard officers spied on the family of Jean Charles de Menezes has "exacerbated" the distress felt by the Brazilian's relatives - who were mourning the anniversary of his shooting yesterday.

The family of Jean Charles de Menezes - who was shot dead by officers who mistook him for a suicide bomber in 2005 - are considering legal action against Scotland Yard after it was claimed the force spied on them.

Scotland Yard is embroiled in a fresh scandal after claims officers gathered information about several grieving families involved in justice groups, including relatives of Mr de Menezes.

It is also alleged the force collected data on relatives of Cherry Groce, whose death sparked the Brixton riots, and Ricky Reel who died in mysterious circumstances in 1997.

The latest report on the force's secretive Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) will be published today. The unit, Special Branch and senior management at the Metropolitan Police are set for criticism.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon, who is leading the inquiry, will say that rules were flouted over what information should have been kept on record.

The senior management of Scotland Yard moles showed a "lack of regard" for the rules after collecting information on groups "which served no purpose in preventing crime", a report has found.

However, Mr Creedon said there was no evidence to suggest that officers deliberately targeted black justice groups that pressed for action following police shootings, deaths in police custody and serious racist assaults.

Undercover police units gathered and kept information on black justice groups that "served no purpose in preventing crime", a report will say.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon, who leads the report into the conduct of Scotland Yard moles which will be released today, will say the highly secretive Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), Special Branch and senior management flouted rules about what details should be kept.

A series of allegations were made against the SDS, including officers tricking women into serious sexual relationships and using identities of dead children without permission, which led to this inquiry.

The squad was also accused of infiltrating campaign groups of murder victim Stephen Lawrence and gathering information to "smear" his relatives.